Concerns regarding the benefits or drawbacks of having two farmers markets in Bridgeport starting in the months ahead are no longer concerns.

On Monday, March 10, officials with the Bridgeport Harrison County Farmers Market, United Hospital Center, and the City of Bridgeport announced there will be just one market.

The announcement came during the public comments portion of last night’s Bridgeport City Council meeting. Debbie Workman, who has served as the volunteer market manager for the Bridgeport Farmers Market (the name of the BHCFM prior to this year’s name change) talked about an agreement during her time at the podium.

Workman, who recently had announced her retirement after 16 years at the Bridgeport Farmers Market, last night announced she would be coming back for one more season. During the upcoming season, she said she will be working with city officials and UHC to improve the existing farmers market and preserve it into the future. City Manager Patrick Ford confirmed after the meeting the recently announced Bridgeport Farmers & Wellness Market, which was to have been held on the UHC campus, will not be taking place.

The amicable agreement was in contrast to disagreements on the matter between the long-standing market and the one that was a partnership between the city and UHC. It became a local topic on social media for the last several weeks. As it turned out, face-to-face interaction in recent days put things back on the right course.

“This past weekend, representatives of the City and UHC worked with me to arrive at a solution we are confident will be beneficial to all and assure the sustainability of the Bridgeport Farmers Market,” said Workman.

Ford was also pleased with the solution. In a statement released to the media, one of the aspects he was pleased to see was the agreement reached a “shared commitment” among those involved.

“We are excited to participate in the process to solicit input to plan for the long-term sustainability of the seasonal destination in Harrison Couty,” said Ford.

Workman talked about the process from the statement she read. She said a team of representatives, key stakeholders in the process will be assembled, which will seek public input on the issue to create a plan that will be “collaborative and community focused.”

There was no word on when that process would begin. However, the first Bridgeport Farmers Market of the season is May 18 at Charles Pointe, essentially in the same location at the development. There was also word from Ford that a second planned “Meet & Greet” set for tonight with potential vendors for the new farmers market has been canceled.

Workman thanked the city, those involved with the Bridgeport Harrison County Farmers Market, including many volunteers and vendors, for getting to the point that arrived Monday. Dr. Mark Povroznik, the director of quality initiatives at UHC who represented the hospital, also thanked all those involved in a collaborative effort to reach a resolution.